CONTENTS 

PREFACE, pp. v-vii. 

INTRODUCTORY MEMOIR. 

Ancient period 

History of Linguists little known — Legendary Linguists — the Jews — The Asiatics — The Greeks — Mithridates — Cleopatra — The Romans — Prevalence of Greek under the Empire — The Early Chris, tians — Decline of the Study — Separation of the two Empires — The Orusaders — Frederic II — The Moorish Schools in Spain — Council of Vienno — Roderigo Ximenes — Venetian travellers — Fall of Constantinople — Greeks in Italy — Complutensian Polyglot, pp. 5-18. 

Modern period : — 

I. Linguists of the East. Dragomans — Genus Bey — Jonadab Alhanar — Interpreters in the Levant — Ciceroni at Mecca — Syrian Linguists — The Assemani — Greeks — Armenians — The Mechitarists, pp. 18-24. 

II. Italian Linguists. Pico della Mirandola — Teseo Ambrosio — Pigafetta — Linguistic Missionary Colleges — The Propaganda — Schools "of the Beligious Orders — Giggei — Galani — Ubicini — Maracci — Podesta — Piromalli — Giorgi — De Magistris — Finetti — Valperga de Galuso — The De Rossis, pp. 25-34. 

III. Spanish and Portuguese Linguists. Fernando di Cordova — Covilham — Libertas Cominetus — Arias Mantanus — Del Rio — Lope de Vega — Missionaries — Antonio Fernandez — Carabantes — Pedro Paez — Hervaz-y-Pandura, pp. 34-41. 

IV. French Linguists. Postel — Polyglot-Pater-Nosters — Scaliger — Le Cluse — Peiresc — Chasteuil — Duret — Bochart — Puguet — Le Jay — De la Croze — Renaudot — Fourmont — Deshauterayes — De Guignes — Diplomatic affairs in the Levant — De Paradis, Langles — Abel Remusat — Modern School, Julien, Bournouf, Renan, Fresnel, the d'Abbadies, pp. 41-58, 

V. German , Dutch , Flemish , and Hungarian Linguists. Muller — (Regiomantanus) — Bibliander — Gesner — Christmann — Drusius — Schultens — Maes — Haecx — Gramaye — Erpen — The Goliuses — Hottinger — Kircher — Ludolf — Rothenacker — Andrew Muller — Witzen — Wilkins — Leibnitz — Gerard Muller — Schlotzer — Buttner — Michaelis — Catholic Missionaries — Richter, Fritz, Widmann, Grebmer, Dobritzhofer, Werdin — Berchtold, Adelung, Vater, Pallas, Klaproth, Niebuhr, Humboldt and his School — Castren, Rask, Bunsen, Biblical Linguists — Hungarian Linguists — Csoma de Korda, PP. 59-81. 

VI. British and Irish Linguists, Crichton — Andrews — Gregory — Castell, Walton, Pooock, Ockley, Sale, Clarke, Wilkins, Toland, Orator's Henley, Carteret, Jones, Mar&dtn, CoWbrooke, Craufurd, Lumsden, Leyden, Vans Kennedy, Adam Clarke, Roberts Jones, Young, Pritchard, Cardinal Wiseman, Browning, Lara, Burrift, pp. 81-01. 

VII. Slavonian Linguists, Russians — Scantiness of Materials — Early Period — Jaroslav, Boris — The Romanofta-Pameva, Peter the Great, Catherine I, Menichikoff Timkefiaky, Bitchoersin, Igumnoff, Giganoff, Schubinoff, Goulianoft Senkowsky, Gretcb, Kazem-Beg — Poles — Meninski, Groddek, Bobrowski, Albertrandy, Rzewuski, Italinski — Bohemians — Komnensky, Dobrowsky, Haaka, pp. 99-110. 

Miraculous gift of tongues — Royal Linguists — Lady-Linguists — Infant Phenomena - Uneducated Linguists, - pp. 110-121 

LIFE OF CARDINAL MEZZOFANTI. 

CHAPTER I. (1774-98.) 

Birth and family history — Legendary tales — Early education — First masters — School friends — Ecclesiastical studies — Illness and interruption of studies — Study of languages — Anecdote — Ordination — Appointment as Professor of Arabic — Deprivation of professorship, pp. 125-147. 

CHAPTER II. (1798-1802.; 

Straitened circumstances — Private tuition — The Marescalchi family — The military hospitals — Manner of study — the Magyar, Czchish, Polish, Russian, and Flemish languages — Foreigners — The Confessional — Intense application — Examples of literary labour, pp. 148-161. 

CHAPTER III. (1803-1806.) 

Appointed as Asssistant Librarian of the Istituto di Bologna — Catalogue Raisonni — Professorship of Oriental Languages — Paper on Egyptian obelisks — De Rossi — correspondence with him — Polyglot translations — Caronni's account of him — Visit to Parma, Pexzana, Bodoni — Fenian — Illness — Invitation to settle at Paris — Domestic relations — Correspondence — Translations, - pp. 162-190. 

CHAPTER IV. (1807-14.) 

Labour of compiling Catalogue — His skill as linguist tested by the Russian Embassy — Deprivation of Professorship — Death of his mother — Visit to Modena and Parma — Literary friends — Giordani's account — Greek scholanhip — Bucheron's trial of his Latinity — Deputy Librarianship of University — Visiton — Lord Guildford — Learned societies — Academy of Institute — Paper on Mexican symbolic Paintings, pp. 191-204. 

CHAPTER V. (1814-17.) 

Restoration of the Papal Government — Pius VII. at Bologna — Invites Mezzofanti to Rome — Re-appointment as Professor of Oriental languages — Death of his father — Notices of Mezzofanti by Tourists — Kephalides — Appointed head librarian — Pupils — Angelelli — Papers read at Academy, - pp. 205-16. 

CHAPTER VI. (1817-20.) 

Tourists' Notices of Mezzofanti — Society in Bologna — Mr. Harford — Stewart Rose — Byron — The Opuscoli Letterarj di Bologna - Panegyric of F. Aponte — Emperor Francis I. at Bologna — Clotilda Tambroni — Lady Morgan's account of Mezzofanti — Inaccuracies — The Bologna dialect — M. Molbech, pp 219-40. 

CHAPTER VII. (1820-28.) 

Illness — Visit to Mantua, Modena, Pisa, and Leghorn — Solar Eclipse — Baron Von Zach — Bohemian — Admiral Smyth — The Gipsy language — Blume — Armenian — Georgian — Flemish — Pupils — Cavedoni, Veggetti, Rosellini — Foreigners — Daily duties — Correspondence — Death of Pius VII. — Appointment as member of Collegio dei Consultori — Jacobs' account of him — Personal appearance — Cardinal Cappellari — Translation of Oriental Liturgy — Mezzofanti's disinterestedness — Birmese, - pp. 241-70. 

CHAPTER VIII. (1828-30.) 

Visit of Crown Prince of Prussia — Trial of skill in languages — Crown Prince of Sweden — M. B rau tier hj elm — Countess of Blessington — Irish Students — Lady Bellew — Dr. Tholuck — Persian couplet — Swedish — Cornish Dialect — Frisian — Abate Fabiani — Letters — Academy of the Filopieri, - pp. 271-86. 

CHAPTER IX. (1831.) 

Political parties at Bologna — M. Libri's account of Mezzofanti — Hindoo Algebra — Indian Literature and history — Indian languages — Manner of study — Revolution of Bologna — Delegates to Rome — Mezzofanti at Rome — Reception by Gregory XVL — Visit to the Propaganda — Dr. Cullen — Polyglot conversation — Renewed Invitation to settle at Rome — Consents — Calumnies of revolutionary party — Dr. Wordsworth — Mr. Milnes — Removal to Rome, pp. 287-300. 

CHAPTER X. (1831-33.) 

Rome a centre of many languages — Mezzofanti's pretensions fully tested — Appointments at Rome — Visit to the Chinese College at Naples — History of the College — Study of Chinese — Its difficulties — Illness — Return to Rome — Polyglot society of Rome — The Propaganda — Amusing trials of skill — Gregory XVL — Library of Propaganda rich in rare books on languages — Appointed First-keeper of the Vatican Library — Letters, pp. 301-17. 

CHAPTER XI. (1834.) 

The Welsh language — Dr. Forster — Dr. Baines — Dr. Edwards — Mr. Rhys Powell — Flemish — Mgr. Malou — Mgr. Wilde — Canon Aerts — Pere van Calven — Pere Legrelle — Dutch — M. Leon — Dr. Wap — Mezzofanti's extempore Dutch verses — Bohemian — The poet Frankl — Conversations on German and Magyar Poetry — Maltese — Padre Schembri — Canonico Falzou — Portuguese — Count de Lavradio, pp. 318-37. 

CHAPTER XII. (1834-36.) 

The Vatican Library — Mezzofanti's colleagues — College of St. Peter's — Mezzofanti made Rector — His literary friends in Rome — Angelo Mai — Accademia della Cattolica Religione — He reads papers in this Academy — Gregory XVI.'s kindness — Cardinal Giustiniani — Albani — Pacca — Zurla — Polyglot party at Cardinal Zurla's in his honour — Opinions regarding him — Number of his languages — Mr. Mazzinghi — Dr. Cox — Dr. Wiseman — Herr Fleck — Greek Epigram — Herr Fleck's criticisms — Mezzofanti's Latinity — His English — Dr. Baines — Cardinal Wiseman — Mr. Monckton Milnes — Mezzofanti's style formed on books — Lady Morgan's opinion of his English — Swedish Literature — Professor Carlson — Count Oxenstjerna — Armenian Literature — Mgr. Hurmuz — Padre Angiarakian Arabic of Syria — Greek Literature — Mgr. Mi ssir — Romaic — Abate Matranga — Polish Literature — Sicilian — The poet Meli. pp. 338-54. 

CHAPTER XIII. (1836-38.) 

Californian students in Propaganda — Californian language — Mezzofanti's success in it — Nigger Dutch of Curaboa — American Indians in Propaganda — Augustine Hamelin — "The Blackbird" — Mezzofanti's knowledge of Indian languages — Dr. Kip — Algonquin — Chippewa Delaware — Father T have net — His studies in the propaganda — Arabic — Albanese — Mr. Fernando's notice of him — Cingalese — East Indian languages — Hindostani — Mahratta — Guzarattee — Dr. M'Auliffe — Count Lackersteen — M. Eyoob — Chinese, difficulty of — Chinese students — Testimony of Abate Umpierres — Cardinal Wiseman — West African languages — Father Brunner — Angolese — Oriental languages — Paul Alkushi — "Shalom" — Letter, pp. 355-72. 

CHAPTER XIV. (1838-41.) 

Created Cardinal — The Cardinalate — Its history, duties, emoluments, congregations, offices — Mezzofanti's poverty — Kindness of Gregory XVI — Congratulations of his Bolognese friends — The Eilopieri — Polyglot congratulations of the Propaganda — Friends among the Cardinals — His life as Cardinal — Still continues to acquire new languages — Abyssinian — M. d'Abbadie — His visit to Mezzofanti — Basque — Amarinna — Arabic — Ilmorma — Mezzofanti's failure — Studies Amarinna — Abyssinian Embassy to Rome Their account of the Cardinal — The Basque language — M. d'Abbedie — Prince L.L. Bonaparte — M. Dassance — Strictures on Mezzofanti — Mrs. Paget — Baron Glucky de Stenitzer — Guido GSrres — Modesty of Mezzofanti — Mr. Kip — Gorres — Cardinal Wiseman — Mezzofanti among the pupils of the Propaganda, pp. 373-97. 

CHAPTER XV. (1841-43.) 

Author's recollections of Mezzofanti in 1841 — His personal appearance and manner ; his attractive simplicity — Languages in which the author heard him speak — His English conversation — Various opinions regarding it — Impressions of the author — Anecdotes — Cardinal Wiseman — Rev. John Smyth — Father Kelleher — His knowledge of English literature — Mr. Harford — Dr. Cox — Cardinal Wiseman — Mr. Grattan — Mr. Badeley — Hudibras — Author's own conversation with the Cardinal — The Tractarian movement — Mr. Grattan — Baron Bunsen — Author's second visit to Rome — The Polyglot Academy of the Propaganda — Playful trial of Mezzofanti's powers by the students — His wonderful versatility of language — Analogous examples of this faculty — Description of it by visitors — His own illustration — The Irish language — Mezzofanti's admission regarding it — The Etruria Celtics — The Eugubian Tables — Amusing experiment suggested by Mezzofanti — Dr. Murphj — The Gaelic language — Mezzofanti 's extempore Metrical compositions — Specimens — Rapidity with which he wrote them — Power of accommodating his pronunciation of Latin to that of the various countries — National interjectional sounds — Playfulness — Puna, pp. 398-431. 

CHAPTER XVI. (1843-49.) 

Death of his nephew Mgr. Minarelli — His sister Teresa — Letter-Visitors — Rev. Ingraham Kip — English conversation — English literature — American literature — The American Indian languages — Scottish dialect — Burns and Walter Scott — Rev. John Gray — Mezzofanti as a philologer — Baron Bunsen — The Abb€ Gaume — French patois — Spanish — Father Burrueco — Mexican — Peruvian — New Zealand language — Armenian and Turkish — Father Trenz — Russian — M. Mouravieff — The Emperor Nicholas — Polish — Klementyna a Tanskish Hoffmanowa — Makrena, Abbess of Minsk — Her history — Her account of Mezzofanti — His occupations — House of Catechumens — First communion — Fervorini — The confessional — Death of Gregory XVL — Election of Pius IX. — Mezzofanti's epigrams on the occasion — His relations with the new Pope — Father Bresciani's account of him — The revolution of 1848 — Its effect on Cardinal Mezzofanti — His illness — Death and funeral, pp. 432-56. 

CHAPTER XVII. (Recapitulation.)

Plan pursued in preparing this Biography — Points of inquiry — Number of languages known to Mezzofanti — What is meant by knowledge of a language — Popular notion of it — Mezzofanti's number of languages progressive — Dr. Minarelli's list of languages known by him — Classification of languages according to the degrees of his knowledge — Languages spoken by him with great perfection — Languages spoken less perfectly — languages in which he could initiate a conversation — Languages known from books — Dialects — Southern and central American languages — Total number known to him in various degrees — His speaking of languages not literally faultless, but perfect to a degree rare in foreigners — Comparison with other linguists His plan of studying languages — Various systems of study — Mezzofanti's method involved much labour — Habit of thinking in foreign languages — His success a special gift of nature — In what this consisted — Quickness of perception — Analysis — Memory — Peculiarity of bis memory — His enthusiasm and simplicity — Mezzofanti as a philologer, as a critic, a historian, a man of science — Piety and charity, liberal and tolerant spirit — Social virtues. pp. 457-493. APPENDIX, pp. 495 502.